Franklinton residents have lowest life expectancy in Ohio

On Apr 7, 2021

Franklinton residents have a life expectancy of just 60 years, the lowest life expectancy in Ohio, according to a new report by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

Central Ohioans who call Franklinton home are more likely to live a shorter life than anywhere else in the state, a new report shows.

Franklinton residents have a life expectancy of 60 years, according to the 2021 health value dashboard released today by the Columbus-based Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO).

Residents of Stow, Ohio, which is located in Summit County, have the highest life expectancy in the state at 89.2 years, according to the HPIO analysis. That accounts for a 29-year gap in life expectancy within Ohio.

What leads to differences in life expectancy is often a discrepency in health equity, according to HPIO. That can include a broad range of socioeconomic factors including everything from transportation to housing and education, said Katherine Robb, senior program manager of environmental health at the American Public Health Association.

“To achieve health equity, obstacles to health must be removed, such as poverty and discrimination…” Robb said during a f. “We know that health is more than just what happens in the doctor’s office.”

Franklinton is a Columbus neighborhood that is home to around 8,132 people, according to an April 2020 report from the city. The neighborhood’s population has declined from a high point of 26,500 in 1950, according to the report.

Around 17% of Franklin County residents are considered to be in poverty while 52% of Franklinton residents are living in poverty, the city’s report shows.

Stow is a city of 34,776 with a median household income of $73,201 U.S. Census data shows.

“Unfortunately, this report highlights what we’ve known in public health for some time,” Columbus Public Health spokeswoman Kelli Newman said via email. “Your ZIP code determines how long you will live here and across the state.”

The HPIO report details achievements and shortcomings of health care systems and public health and overall health outcomes throughout Ohio. The state was ranked 47th among all 50 states and Washington, D.C. for its health value, according to the report.

The report’s findings about Franklinton underscores work already underway there and in other parts of Columbus identified by the city as “opportunity neighborhoods,” Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a prepared statement.

Last year, Columbus Public Health declared racism a public health issue. Ginther also pointed to CelebrateOne…a public coalition formed in 2014 that’s dedicated to reducing infant mortality, an issue that disproportionately impacts communities of color.

“We know systemic racism, poverty and lack of opportunity results in negative health outcomes, including lower life expectancy,” Ginther said. “This is at the heart of my equity agenda, and informs our work to ensure everyone in every neighborhood has the opportunity to thrive.”

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